The government will allow schools to autonomously determine classroom density in the new academic year that begins in March, depending on their COVID-19 situation.

Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae on Monday announced a quarantine and school administration plan for the spring semester, reflecting the government's revised social distancing policies in response to the omicron variant.

The ministry will hand authority to local educational administrators and schools to oversee quarantine, based on a four-level system ranging from normal operation, mix of classroom and remote learning, to complete remote learning.

The ministry, for its part, has suggested density determination standards of a three-percent infection rate among students or a 15-percent absence rate due to infection or quarantine.

In the meantime, kindergartens, first and second grades of elementary schools, and special education schools will operate with in-class learning every weekday.

Due to the rapid transmission of omicron, schools will be allowed to conduct testing and internal epidemiological studies.